'Zombie Deer' Disease Is Spreading: What You Should Do

White-tailed deer is the species of deer that has primarily been infected with chronic wasting disease or CWD. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Oh, deer. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) continues to spread among deer populations (particularly white-tailed and mule deer) in different parts of the United States. Oh, elk, and oh, moose, too, as these populations are being affected, too. With new concerns that the prions that may cause CWD could eventually jump to people, could it eventually be "oh, humans" as well?

As of January 2018, at least 22 U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces have reported cases of CWD, also referred to as the "zombie deer disease." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a map of the states and counties where cases have been reported. Oh, and CWD has occurred in reindeer and moose in Norway as well, just in case that country happens to be on your mind.

In CWD, what's wasting away are the brain and body. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes, CWD is an infectious disease that results in slow progressive deterioration of the brain, spinal cord, and other parts of the body until death results. Like "mad cow disease", CWD is a type of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Encephalopathy is a disease that affects the brain. Spongiform means that it results in holes that makes the brain look like a sponge. (Having a brain like a sponge is not good in this case.) And these diseases are transmissible because they are likely caused by an infectious agent called a prion.

A deer, moose, or elk can catch CWD via contact with contaminated body fluids (e.g., feces, saliva or urine), body tissue, food, or water. After initial infection, it may take at least a year before any symptoms show. Common symptoms, which can develop over years, include severe weight loss, loss of energy, poor balance and coordination, drooling, excessive thirst or urination, drooping ears, and more aggressive behavior. Hence, the moniker "zombie deer disease."

Moose, elk, and mule deer are other species that have been infected with CWD, (Photo: Shutterstock)

In the meantime it's best to take appropriate precautions, because you don't want to be that first case report of a human getting CWD. This is especially true if you are a hunter or otherwise spend time around deer such as Santa Claus. The following recommendations apply to moose and elk as well:

Get all deer tested for CWD.

Avoid deer that are like zombies in any way (e.g., acting abnormally or dead) and do not handle or eat their meat.

Do not put any equipment used to handle or cut raw deer meat in your mouth at any time.

Don't touch, eat, juggle, or handle deer poop or urine

Contact your local health or wildlife department if you see deer behaving strangely (dead for no clear reason counts as behaving strangely)

As reported by the Detroit Free Press, there have also been calls for more aggressive CWD control measures among the deer population such as enhanced surveillance and more aggressive communication of the risks to people who handle deer like hunters. After all, you share the environment with deer and may touch many things that are touched by deer. So anything that can be done to "buck" the CWD trend in deer (and elk and moose) could very well benefit you.